Steps

• At least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
• Plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week.
• The guideline is set in minutes, not steps.

Source: NHS

• Paluch 2022, 15 cohorts, 47,471 adults: step quartile medians of 3,553, 5,801, 7,842 and 10,901 a day.
• Highest versus lowest quartile: adjusted hazard ratio for death 0.47.
• Saint-Maurice 2020, 4,840 US adults aged 40+: hazard ratio 0.49 at 8,000 and 0.35 at 12,000 steps versus 4,000.
• Both are observational studies, not a target for any individual.

Source: Lancet Public Health, 2022 (Paluch et al.), JAMA, 2020 (Saint-Maurice et al.)

• Accuracy depends on the maker and the type of device.
• Everyday accuracy is likely to be lower than in lab testing.

Source: JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020 (Fuller et al.)

• Watch your own average over weeks.
• A sustained drop with new tiredness, breathlessness, pain on walking or low mood is worth mentioning to a GP.

How many steps do I need a day?

The NHS sets its guideline in minutes, not steps: at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.

Does my tracker count steps accurately?

In lab tests several major brands counted steps accurately. Everyday accuracy depends on the device and how it is worn.

Does 10,000 steps have special status?

It is not the NHS guideline, which is set in minutes. Observational studies found lower death rates at higher step counts.

• Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64, NHS
• Walking for health, NHS
• Reliability and Validity of Commercially Available Wearable Devices for Measuring Steps, Energy Expenditure, and Heart Rate - Systematic Review, JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020 (Fuller et al.)
• Daily steps and all-cause mortality - a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts, Lancet Public Health, 2022 (Paluch et al.)
• Association of Daily Step Count and Step Intensity With Mortality Among US Adults, JAMA, 2020 (Saint-Maurice et al.)
• Heart palpitations, NHS